CVE-2010-1787 in Safari
Summary
by MITRE
WebKit in Apple Safari before 5.0.1 on Mac OS X 10.5 through 10.6 and Windows, and before 4.1.1 on Mac OS X 10.4; and webkitgtk before 1.2.6; allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) via a floating element in an SVG document.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/21/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2010-1787 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within the WebKit rendering engine that powers Apple Safari and various other web browsers. This issue affects multiple operating systems and browser versions, creating a broad attack surface for malicious actors seeking to exploit web-based vulnerabilities. The vulnerability specifically targets the handling of floating elements within Scalable Vector Graphics documents, which are commonly used for web graphics and visual content. The flaw exists in the way WebKit processes certain SVG elements, particularly those with floating point values, leading to unpredictable memory behavior that can be leveraged for remote code execution or system crashes.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves crafting malicious SVG documents containing specially formatted floating point elements that trigger memory corruption during rendering. When Safari or affected WebKit-based browsers attempt to render such documents, the memory management routines fail to properly handle the floating point arithmetic operations, resulting in buffer overflows or other memory corruption conditions. This memory corruption can be manipulated by attackers to overwrite critical memory locations, potentially allowing them to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the running browser process. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe because it operates at the rendering engine level, meaning that simply visiting a compromised webpage could lead to full system compromise without requiring user interaction beyond normal browsing activities.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to users of affected Safari versions across multiple platforms, including Mac OS X 10.5 through 10.6 and Windows systems, as well as older Mac OS X 10.4 systems. The broad compatibility of the vulnerability means that attackers can craft single malicious web pages that affect multiple operating systems and browser versions simultaneously. The memory corruption behavior manifests as either arbitrary code execution or denial of service conditions, making it a versatile attack vector for both persistent threats and casual exploitation. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-129, which covers insufficient validation of array indices, both of which are common patterns in memory corruption vulnerabilities. The attack surface extends beyond simple web browsing to include any application that relies on WebKit for rendering SVG content.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-1787 primarily focus on immediate software updates and patches provided by Apple and WebKit maintainers. Users should promptly upgrade to Safari 5.0.1 for Mac OS X 10.5 through 10.6, Safari 4.1.1 for Mac OS X 10.4, or WebKitGTK 1.2.6 and later versions to eliminate the vulnerability. Network administrators should consider implementing web filtering solutions that can detect and block potentially malicious SVG content, particularly in environments where users may be exposed to untrusted web content. Additionally, browser hardening measures such as sandboxing, privilege separation, and strict content security policies can provide additional layers of protection. Organizations should also monitor for exploitation attempts through web traffic analysis and implement intrusion detection systems that can identify patterns associated with SVG-based attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date browser software and highlights the need for regular security assessments of web-based applications that may be vulnerable to similar rendering engine flaws. This particular vulnerability is categorized under the MITRE ATT&CK framework as a technique involving code injection and privilege escalation through browser exploitation, emphasizing the critical nature of timely patch management and the potential for this vulnerability to serve as a gateway for more extensive system compromise.